Alfreton....Match Thread

Aye we’re all doomed according to this thread…….

Quoted from oochiad

Aye we’re all doomed according to this thread…….

We sent half of the first team squad to Alfreton plus some youth. Even then, Battersby gets minimal game time but our midfielders play too many minutes. The game against Burnley U23's had to be cancelled. We need a fresh, fit team for Bromley. If we have to send the Youth Team to Boston a la Spalding to protect our crocks then so be it.

As mentioned in other posts, there seems to be a disconnect between our rigorous and newly equipped fitness/ sports science set up and player availability. Alfreton, seemed to need minimal warm up in contrast to our physical jerks but gave us a hard game. Mansfield played at half pace and some of our opponents have part timers in their ranks.

It isn't doom mongering to be concerned that we may not be ready in just two more weeks. Rio Molyneaux, a part time model, with very few pro games under his belt tore us a new one in the first half. Coke's tackle would have been a red in a league game.

I think fans who attend pre season games are entitled to express a few concerns. Hysteria would be expecting to go straight back up this season.

ex Crewe winger Daniel Powell was at the game and chatting to doigy

2+2= 492.38’

Quoted from mariner91

My mistake for assuming that Wiki career stats would be chronological. However, playing 47 games in the last six seasons with almost a quarter of them being in a semi-professional league isn’t exactly reassuring is it? Fantastic attitude, clearly a nice bloke and undoubtedly a good player during his career but making out his recent record wouldn’t be concerning is daft. He might have played 28 games last season but they were for either a midtable NLN side or for the worst team in the FL. Not exactly a glowing reference.

I still maintain that the lack of quality in depth in midfield is a worry. Fox looks a great signing if he stays fit. But Coke, Clifton and Spokes were not good enough to keep us in the league and won’t be good enough to get us back in to it without extra quality being added alongside them. And they weren’t good enough even with Matete playing in there, arguably our best player last season.

He had a bad knee injury at Ipswich and wasn't sent for surgery until April 2017. It's quite possible that he still recovering until January time. He played 4 games for a pretty much down and out Chesterfield side and then signed for Oldham, a basket case club. He's gone on record to say that the owners are why he didn't get paid.

Yes Alfreton are Conference North but he played in 9/13 games for them last season and was probably on trial here for some of those 4 he didn't play.

It could well be that those 3 years recovering from his knee surgery and hardly playing at Oldham for other reasons have actually prolonged his career.

Quoted from oochiad

Aye we’re all doomed according to this thread…….

I’m just pleased we didn’t lose at Alfreton…

Quoted from Croxton

We sent half of the first team squad to Alfreton plus some youth. Even then, Battersby gets minimal game time but our midfielders play too many minutes. The game against Burnley U23's had to be cancelled. We need a fresh, fit team for Bromley. If we have to send the Youth Team to Boston a la Spalding to protect our crocks then so be it.

As mentioned in other posts, there seems to be a disconnect between our rigorous and newly equipped fitness/ sports science set up and player availability. Alfreton, seemed to need minimal warm up in contrast to our physical jerks but gave us a hard game. Mansfield played at half pace and some of our opponents have part timers in their ranks.

It isn't doom mongering to be concerned that we may not be ready in just two more weeks. Rio Molyneaux, a part time model, with very few pro games under his belt tore us a new one in the first half. Coke's tackle would have been a red in a league game.

I think fans who attend pre season games are entitled to express a few concerns. Hysteria would be expecting to go straight back up this season.

This is what bothers me too. There is a difference between athletic fitness and football fitness. When so many players and  your two main strikers in particular  have been unavailable since virtually the start of the friendlies then something is not right with the new system. To play these other friendlies without either of them can not be just unlucky. I would lay money on us losing players to calf and hamstring injuries and getting into that cycle of them coming back too soon and going off again.

As you say it isn’t doom mongering, it is genuine concern about the number of fit players we will have for the Bromley game.

Think there is a bit of an over reaction here. We are carrying a few injuries but it is blindingly obvious we have two or three additions to make in key areas.

Also unlike previous seasons we won't be bargain basement shopping heading into the season, there are clearly funds available. We have an awful lot going for us to attract those players these days, owners/manager/facilities etc.

Pretty sure Hurst is waiting for targets to be come available within the EFL, there is quite a lot of movement late on and the best will be yet to come. He won't panic and play his hand to early just for the sake of it.

Quoted from Mikey_345

Think there is a bit of an over reaction here. We are carrying a few injuries but it is blindingly obvious we have two or three additions to make in key areas.

Also unlike previous seasons we won't be bargain basement shopping heading into the season, there are clearly funds available. We have an awful lot going for us to attract those players these days, owners/manager/facilities etc.

Pretty sure Hurst is waiting for targets to be come available within the EFL, there is quite a lot of movement late on and the best will be yet to come. He won't panic and play his hand to early just for the sake of it.

I don’t disagree at all Mikey just stating a fact. Hurst has been unable to try either of the strikers which must have handicapped his planning. Alfreton would have been ideal for trying out new ideas instead of having to cobble together a team.

It is very difficult to assess new players till we see them in a competitive fixture. In friendlies, you can see if someone has a bit of class, but until the real action starts it is nigh on impossible to see how it will all gel together.

Paul Hurst may have got the right blend he might not, but what we do need is those purse strings loosened to get the three or four quality players that will make the difference between trundling along in the hope of the playoffs or challenging for the title. There is only one sure way of getting back into the league and that is to win the NL, and if we cannot be nailed on to be competitive this low in the pyramid there should be questions asked about the budget and/or the manager's recruitment.

The things the new owners have done so far off the pitch are great, but the absolute priority must be to get the players to challenge for the title.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

It is very difficult to assess new players till we see them in a competitive fixture. In friendlies, you can see if someone has a bit of class, but until the real action starts it is nigh on impossible to see how it will all gel together.

Paul Hurst may have got the right blend he might not, but what we do need is those purse strings loosened to get the three or four quality players that will make the difference between trundling along in the hope of the playoffs or challenging for the title. There is only one sure way of getting back into the league and that is to win the NL, and if we cannot be nailed on to be competitive this low in the pyramid there should be questions asked about the budget and/or the manager's recruitment.

The things the new owners have done so far off the pitch are great, but the absolute priority must be to get the players to challenge for the title.

Notts County, Chesterfield, Stockport, Torquay and Wrexham will expect promotion. Then there is the two relegated sides, Grimsby and Southend. Barnet cut costs last season to go for it this season.

On expectation alone, that is the 7 play-off spots sorted with one team missing out.

We have made 13 additions so far with at least another 2 anticipated. If 75% of your new signings perform, you've done well. For most teams that means 1 disappointing signing but for us that would mean 4.

This season is about beginning to build something and making sure we aren't talking about 15 new signings in 12 months time.